Bird, Storm use run in OT to hand Sun their first loss

May 26, 2021, 05:48 am

EVERETT, Wash. -- — Sue Bird scored 21 points, Jewell Loyd had 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals and the Seattle Storm handed the Connecticut Sun their first loss of the season with a 90-87 overtime win on Tuesday night.

Breanna Stewart had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Stephanie Talbot added 11 points for Seattle (4-1).

Bird, who threw away the ball at the end of regulation, sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a layup by Loyd in an 8-0 run to open the extra period and the Storm led the rest of the way. Jasmine Thomas converted a three-point play to trim the Sun's deficit to 87-84 with 2:58 to play but Stewart answered with a 3-pointer — her first basket since the first quarter — and Seattle held on.

Jonquel Jones had her fifth consecutive double-double for Connecticut (5-1), finishing with 28 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Brionna Jones added 19 points, DeWanna Bonner scored 15 and Natisha Hiedeman 14.

DiJonai Carrington made a reverse layup for the Sun — the last WNBA team to lose this season — with 15.3 seconds left in regulation to force OT.

Connecticut was without coach Curt Miller, who was fined $10,000 and suspended for one game by the WNBA for making a disparaging remark to a referee Sunday about the weight of Las Vegas Aces post player Liz Cambage.

It was the first time since 2014 that Seattle had played back-to-back overtime games. Seattle beat Dallas in OT in its previous contest.

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